Flood-fence



(No-Model.)

P. H. MORE.

FLOOD FENCE.

No. 362,988.. Patented May 1'7, 1887.

N. PETERS, Phmwlithognyhar, Washington. a c

PETER H. MORE, OF KIRKSVILLE, MISSOURT.

FLOOD-FENCE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,988, dated May 1'7, 1887.

Application filed December 5, 188

To all whom, it 77mg concern:

Be it known that I, PETER H. MORE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Kirksville, in the county of Adair and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful FloodFence, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to improvements in flood-fences of that kind in which the gate or fence connected to the bottom sill and held in a yielding vertical position thereto by springs; and the object is to simplify existing constructions and increase their effectiveness and durability; and my invention therefore consists in the novel construction of parts and their combi nation, as hereinafter specified, and especially as pointed out in the claim made hereto.

I attain the purposes of my improvements by the means illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whcrein- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device, and Fig. 2 is an end view thereof.

leference being had to the drawings, the letter A designates the foundation-rail or mudsiil, which is of such substantial dimensions as to meet all the purposes of giving a sure and stable foundation to the device. This sill A is provided with two or more mortises or holes, 1, through which posts or rods are passed and driven into the bed of the stream to hold the sill in place. On each end of the mud-sill are rigidly secured vertical end pieces, 2, which serve to keep the banks of the stream from caving on the gate, and also prevent the water from washing around the ends of the sill, and give additional guaranty to the immobility of the structure. In the edge of the mudsill are formed springseats, chambers, or mortises 3, to serve as seats for the springs which hold the fence or gate in vertical position. These spring-seats are cut long enough to admit a spring formed of a plate bent over and distorted to the CX- tent of bringing the opposite edges of the straight plank together.

The letter C designates the gate or fence. This is comprised of a substantial bottom rail, 4, having affixed therein the vertically-dis posed slats or pickets 5.

The letter B designates the springs, consisting of a steel-plate bar bent over spirally mudsill and the other end fixed to the upper face of the bottom rail of the gate, and arranged so that their force will hold the gate upright when not disturbed bythe water or things carried against the gate by the water.

The gate is connected to the sill by disposing its lower inner angle or corner to turn on the lower upper corner of the sill, which disposition permits the gate to turn clear down, if necessary, and thus present but little 0bstruction to floating material thrown against it. By forming the springs as described the gate or fence is given security against lateral displacement, and at the same time is set up right with sufficient rigidity to meet the pur poses of a guard when not disturbed by the water, &c.

It will be observed that by making the springplates bent in torsional arrangement, as shown, they not only serve to hold the gate or fence upright and brace it against lateral displacement, but I am enabled thereby to support the flood-gate without supporting the bottom rail of the gate on end journals, the springs serving as the support for the gate, and also operating for the purposes heretofore stated. The construction is thus simplified and greatly improved.

To meet requirements of large streams, the fence may be made and set in sections.

I am aware that flood-gates have heretofore been secured to the sill by spring connections or fastenings, and I do not therefore claim, broadly, this combination ofthe parts; but

\Vhat I. do claim is The flood-gate herein described, composed of the mud-sill A, formed with seats 3 in the edge thereof, the tloodgatc 0, without journals on the ends, and the gate-supporting springs B, consisting of torsionally-bent metal plate bars having one end secured to the mudsill and the other end secured to the bottom sill of the gate, whereby the gate is supported in posit-ion on the mudsill and secured against lateral displacement, substantially as specified.

PETER H. MORE.

Witnesses:

O. P. ROWLAND, H. E. Piirr'rnnsou. 

